Red Sox Extras is a postgame feature providing analysis for each game. Boston defeated the Tampa Bay Rays, 5-3, on Thursday evening at Tropicana Field in Tampa Bay, Florida.
On a team with sluggers like David Ortiz, Adrian Gonzalez, Kevin Youkilis and even Dustin Pedroia, who would have thought Cody Ross would have the second most home runs on the team? Well, it's looking more and more like the Sox got a good one in Ross.
Ross was 2-for-3 with a solo home run and four RBI -- all of which came with two outs -- helping push the Red Sox past the Rays, 5-3, to force a series split in the two game set.
Boston plated one run in each of the first three innings while giving up a pair of runs in the third and fourth, giving the Red Sox a 3-2 lead. Neither team would score again until the eighth, when the Sox scored twice and the Rays added one run, capping off the scoring.
Ross scored the Sox' first run on a bases loaded walk in the first inning. Marlon Byrd hit a solo home run, his first in Boston, and Ross connected for a two-out homer in the third, his seventh long ball of the season. Jeff Keppinger and Rich Thompson both had RBI singles in the third and fourth innings for Tampa Bay. Ross burned the Rays again in the eighth, slapping a two-run single to center, bringing Pedroia and Ortiz around to score. An RBI-single from B.J. Upton in the bottom half of the inning would bring Tampa Bay within two.
Felix Doubront lasted 5.2 innings on the mound for Boston, surrendering two runs (one earned) on six hits and had four walks and seven strikeouts. Doubront, who picked up his fourth win, now has a 4.09 ERA. Vincente Padilla allowed the only other run to Tampa Bay, giving up one earned on a hit in one inning. Rich Hill, Scott Atchison, Andrew Miller and Alfredo Aceves all pitched scoreless ball, and Aceves picked up his eighth save in the win. Matt Moore (1-4) got the loss, allowing three earned runs on five hits over six innings.
Boston heads north to join the Boston Celtics in the City of Brotherly Love as they face old friend Jonathan Papelbon and the Philadelphia Phillies in a three-game weekend series.
GAME NOTES: Mike Avilies was ejected in the in the top of the seventh inning after arguing balls and strikes ... Thursday night's announced attendance at Tropicana Field was 19,842 (55 percent capacity) ... The game was completed in three hours and 16 minutes.
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